Former Secretary of State John F. Kerry purchased waterfront property at Seven Gates Farm in Chilmark for $11.75 million.

Close encounter with fish during seafood day at West Tisbury Elementary.Albert O. Fischer

Baby bank swallows. Lanny McDowell

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission required Santander Bank to restore terra cotta tiles that were removed from its Main Street Vineyard Haven building and replaced with red asphalt tiles. Mark Alan Lovewell

Snowy winter days gave way to summer traffic jams as 2017 unfolded on Martha's Vineyard, marked by reversals of fortune, institutional turmoil, environmental stress, triumphs and setbacks. From winter storms to summer boat fires, attention-getting real estate sales to the first snow of winter, here's a look back at the year in photos.